Technically, the University of South Carolina Beaufort men's golf team and junior Brian Langley didn't sleep on the 36-hole lead Monday night — but only because the second round of the Sand Shark Classic hadn't officially been completed.

Nonetheless, Langley and Sand Sharks will be in front of the pack when play resumes today at Oldfield Golf Club. USCB posted team scores of 297 and 291 on Monday and is three shots clear of Sun Conference rival St. Thomas and seven ahead of Johnson & Wales.

Nine players were unable to complete their second round because of darkness, leaving three teams — Asbury (Ky.), Averett (Va.) and Spalding (Ky.) — with incomplete scores. Those players were set to finish the second round beginning at 8 a.m. today, and a shotgun start for the final round will follow.

When the final 18 holes begin, the Sand Sharks will try to finish off another sweep of the team and individual titles. Mark Phillips, then a senior, won the individual crown while leading USCB to the team championship last year.

This year it's Langley leading the way, as the junior carded a pair of 2-under-par 70s and has a five-shot advantage over senior teammate Travis Cashion. Johnson & Wales teammates Colin Brennan and Damon Salo are another shot back at 2-over 146, and USCB senior Tyler Jacobs, playing as an individual, is tied for fifth with Southeastern's Kyle Martin at 5-over 147.

Women's golf second at Hilton Head Lakes

The University of South Carolina Beaufort women's golf team played its best round of the spring season Monday, posting a team score of 306 to put the Sand Sharks in second place after the opening round of the Hilton Head Lakes Invitational.

The Sand Sharks are seven shots behind first-round leader Lander University, which was paced by individual leader Teresa Caballer Hernani with a 3-under-par 69 and leads the 13-team field at 299.

USCB has three players ranked among the top six individuals, as senior Kelli Nakano (73) is in third place, senior Kaitlin O'Sullivan (74) is tied for fourth and sophomore Tori DeGroodt (75) is tied for sixth. Sophomore Samantha O'Donnell and junior Kendra Collins are tied for 35th after shooting 84.

The final round was scheduled to begin with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. today.

Softball posts another sweep

USCB rang up two more mercy-rule victories Monday, beating St. Francis (Ind.) 10-2 in six innings and blanking Georgetown (Ky.) 8-0 in five innings in the Smash Hit Softball Classic.

USCB (15-1) jumped out to a big lead in the first game, scoring a run in the first, three in the second and four in the third. Katie Rietkovich's two-run home run in the second was the biggest blow, as USCB rapped 15 hits.

That was plenty of support for sophomore left-hander Caitlin Campbell, who struck out six and allowed two runs on six hits over a six-inning complete game.

Rietkovich went 4 for 4 with three RBIs and three runs scored to pace the offense.

The Sand Sharks got an outstanding performance from sophomore right-hander Kristy Cook in their second game. Cook held Georgetown to three hits and two walks while striking out two in a five-inning shutout.

USCB produced all the offense it needed with a six-run first inning, as Shelby Zipperer, Maddie Byrd and Missy Hughes each delivered two-run singles. That's where it stayed until the fifth, when Byrd came up with a sacrifice fly and the eighth run scored on an error to invoke the mercy rule.

Zipperer and C.J. Browder each went 2 for 3 and scored twice.

The Sand Sharks face St. Ambrose (Iowa) at 1 p.m. and Georgetown at 3 p.m. as the Smash Hit Softball Classic continues today.

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